Continuous casting-machine.



- G. MELLEN. y

CONTINUOUS CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICAI'ION FILED NOV- 28, 1914.

Patented May 18, 1915.

2 lsmass--sum 1.

I IIIIIIHIHI IIIIIIIIIUIII I I mm G. NIELLEN.

GNTINUQUS CASTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILLD. Nov. 2a. 1914,.

Patented my 18, w15.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

' I I o o I V 45 for u on several actors l. the .eed o? )the in ynecessaCONT il intensa,

.if V- maar wr osea, Naw' maaar; assioma rovoonrirvove GASTINGCQBIQTIGN, 0F NEW NEW JERSEY, A COBPOBTIQN 0F 'fl' GUS GASTINGbMOHINE.

Application sled November 2a, 1914. Serial No. 874.400.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Llewellyn Fark, West Orange,in the county -of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Continuous Casting-Machines, of which theiollovvin is a specification.

My invention re to improvements in method andapparatus for casting rods,bars, or other terms of metal in long or indeterminate lengths, and hasfor its-object to provide an improved method oi operation, as well asbetter Ways of. introducing the metal into the casting machine.

By practical experience with continuous caetin machines ofthe .typeshown in my co n g application Serial No. 839,045, filed MaI/16,1914,and comprisingseries of coperating movingincld blocks, I have found thatsuccessful operation depends or. rate How of the metal into .(2) theuidity .of e metal; and (.3.) .the rate of movement of the-moldblocks-ormingthe mold. By my invention, :the automaticallycontrolled by providing for the maintenance of a uniform liydaaiilichead 'ofmolten metal inthe receptacle from which the :molten metal isdelivered. The fluidity of ythe molten :metal is :however dicut toaccurately control, vas it isadectedfby variations in temperature,variations in com positionand othencauses. 1t .is therefore -to yprovidefor variations inthe speed o the moving mold-block, and this eii'ectA byu as the driving means, a variable speed 4electric motor having meansfor varying its speed. The .operator lcan thus quicklyv alter the wallsof the moldare pro to insure the production of a soli continuouaunbroken -rod or har. i -My invention 4further relates to aumeansreventing cloggingo thev moving mold anisin by fleakage or overdowometal, said means consisting Y arranged at 'the :pointof :introductionof molten metal into the machine; and fh'er relates Vto the sial:construction or alsl rangement of .thefgconduits ,through which moltenmetal .is delivered fromthemoltenmetal receptacle into vthe continuons 1c i i r machine. v

' Other objects and features .ci .invention screws C, C.

furet factor is speed at which thekmoving- .R :(.Fi offashieldor rd uns.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical section through Athe charging endof the continuous castin machine and the moltenmetal receptac e; Fig. 2is an end view of ,the continuous casting machine, with the .iste

metal ldelivery devices removed; 3

.OUH 0 enlarged vsectional View of one 'molten metal delivery pipe;.Fig. 4 is a modification 0:@ the'construction shown in Ft; Fig. 5 is adetail view of a' form of d very' conduit; Figs. 6 and are respectively.elevatlon and" plan oi the whole machine. e l Rofern tqFig. 1, the,molten-metal de livery m anism comprises a casing A, .referably of metaland ,having a refractory, ning, mounted on a carriage B, and capable ofadlustment thereon hy lmeans of Within the casin Aiea Patented May is,isis.

will -appear from thev l,specification and crucihle D, having .aperforate bottom.

Fitted against the ttom of the crucible is the extension E, within whichis mounted a iioat F, havin its uplper portion shaped to engage the wasof t float F .has an u H, provided Wit the ioat from sinking too fardownward. A burner casin K, andra fuel feedgk in the 'crucible D andextension E in a asoeket into whic fits the rounded headr M of .adelivery tube M extending into, themold-cavity of the casting machine.The construction of this machine, illustrated in Figs. -6 and 7, isdescribed in ldetail in my application above referredto. lt comprises anupper endlesschain ofzmold-blocks passing around the 1 sprocket -51 andar correspendingsprccket mounted in the housing 6)..njd a second endlesschain of mold@ locks :passing around sprocket 52 eperforation G. Thewardly projecting portion a cross-bar l to prevent having an air inletn, Serves t0 keer the mail.

'molten condition. Metal is dischargedirom. Y

L.` Lhas at its delive'ryend anda sprocket mounted in housing S. The

mold blocks have .cooperating cavities, -so

that'when ftheftwo series of-.mold-blocks are 1&5

brought 4into sagement, a. continuousmold cavityfiszorma v Fig. g1 isshown enig the receiv end offthemae ,at whic are mounts the sprocketwheels 5a, 2,`xnountcd on shafts Wheels engaging the rollers on the moldbloclrs. Bolted between these guides is a guard or shield 6 having anopening in line with the mold cavity, and in this opening is secured asleeve or nipple 7, through which passes the delivery tube M, as shownin Fig. 5. This tube M may be made of any suitab e material such asgraphite, graphite-Crucible cla alunduin or other refractory material.

gn Fig. d is shown a modied form of delivery tube M2, comprising aninner tube 8 or refractory material, surrounded by a loosely httingouter tube 9 ot steel haw'ng at one end an enlargement l0 havingapproximately the diameter of the mold cavity' and having at its otherend a dange 11 engaging a split collar l2 mounted in the opening in theguard plate 6.

ln Fig. 5, the delivery tube ll/.l is connected to the discharge tube L,by an inter` mediate tube L2 having at one end a socket engaging thehead M of the tube M, and at the other end a ball engaging a socket inthe end of tube lh. rlhis arrangement has the advantage that the tubes Land lvl' need not be brought into such exact alineinent, as theintermediate tube can adjust itself to v the required position.

ln operation, the delivery tube ll/l or M2 is inserted into the openingin the guard plate 6, this opening and sleeve y7 serving to guide thetube-into the mold cavity.I The molten metal receptacle or casting potis then moved up, and adjusted until the head M lis in engagement withthe tube L, or in case the device shown 'in Fig. 5 is used, the tube Lis held in engagement with-the head M and the casting pot 1s moved upuntil the ball of tube L2 is in engagement with the socket in the end oidischarge pipe L. Molten metal is then poured into the Crucible D andpasses through opening G, rising in extension E to a height determinedby the oat F, which acts as a valve to close the openin Gr. By properadjustment or? the size an Weight oil the doet l?, the height of themolten metal in the'entension E is maintained at the desired point.'.lhe motor 56 is then started and the chains of mold-blocks are thuscaused to move at a-speed sucient to enable a solid rod to be formedwithin the mold cavity, and delivered therefrom, at the point Fig.lovver series of moldblochs are separated, the formed rod beingsupported on the Q, beyond the upper chain.

7, vvhere the upper and ineens? lower chain lvvl'iich entends, asindicated at The proper rate of travel of the mold chains is determinedby experience, andthe machine is run, at the start, approximately atthis rate. 'lhe valve l] is'opened, thereby admitting molten metal intothe mold cavity formed by the moving mold-blocks. As soon as the formedrod or bar appears at the point l@ (Fig. 7) ,where the upper and lowerseries ci molds separate, theoperator can determine by inspectionwhether the proper speed is being attained, and can then by adjustmentof the controller 57 exactly regulate the speed so, that -a unitormlysolid and conoplete rod is thereafter continuously pro-- duced.

1. lln a continuous casting machine prising series of traveling moldsections dtting together to forni' 'a continuous inold, the combinationof means 'for delivering the molten metal under a constant hydraulichead, and a variable speed motor .for driv ing the mold sections, themotor having means for controlling its speed.

2. ln a continuous casting machine cone prising series of traveling moldsections tting together to forni a continuous incid,

a shield having an opening in line with the i axis ci the mold cavity'.

3. ln a continuous casting machine coin` prising series of travelingmold sections tit ting together to lorrn a continuous noold, a shieldhaving an opening in line with the anis of the mold cavity and adelivery tube extending through said opening into the mold cavity. el.ln a continuous casting machine coniprising series et traveling moldsections iitting together to torni a contiinious` mold, a shield havingan opening in line with the anis of the mold cavity and a delivery tubeextending through said opening into the mold cavity and having anenlarged ballshaped head outside said opening.

5.. ln a continuous casting machine coroprising series et traveling moldsections dtting together to form a continuous mold, the combination ci?a delivery tube ent/ending into said mold cavity and having -a hallushaped head thereon, and a second tube havin@ at one end a sechet tocoperatie with said head and at its other end a ball-shaped' head, andmolten-metal discharge tube i having a suchet to coperate vvith the headof said second tube.

v6. lin a continuous casting machine corns prising series ot travelingmoldsections lit ting together to form a continuous mold, a receptaclefor molten metal, means for heeting the receptacle, means'iiordeliverin/ the molten metal. trom the receptacle nner e constanthydraulic head, and a variable speed rector -for driving themold-sections,

lll@

-' prising series of traveling mold-sections fit'A incase? prisingseries of traveling mold-sections fitting together to'form a continuousmold, a receptacle for molten metal, means for delivering the moltenmetal from the recap-- tacle under-a constant hydraulic head, and avariable lSpeed -motor for driving -the mold-sections, the motor*havingl means for controllinggthe speed.

8. Ina. continuous casting machine com- Y varying the Spee ting togetherto form a continuous mold a receptacle for molten metal means for e- 15livering the molten metal trom the receptacle under a constant hydraulic5 head,` means for movin the molds, and means for Yat which the moldstravel. In testimony whereof I alix 1my signa- 2o ture presence of twowitnesses.

GRENVLLE MELLEN. Witnesses: v l

JOHN O. BmnLoW, M. E. lWnox.

